Gila begins raid on Turin Saturday 14 May, 2005
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Alberto Gilardino talks about his future and tomorrow’s trip to the Stadio Delle Alpi, as Parma aim to trip up the Serie A leaders.
“We’re not coming up to Turin for a sightseeing tour,” warned the hitman on the official Parma website.
“We desperately need points for our survival and even a draw would be very important for us. We’ll face Juventus without fear and don’t want to repeat our game against Milan, where we felt beaten before we’d even started.”
The Bianconeri are three points clear at the top of the table, but on the previous two occasions have slipped up days later to allow Milan back in. Will it happen again with the relegation battlers?
“So many clubs have lost titles because they failed to beat the minnows,” pointed out Gilardino. “We have nothing to lose and that can be a great advantage in this sport, where anything can happen.”
It will be a particularly special occasion for the Italian international, who this week saw Parma slap a £34m price-tag on him. Among those clubs looking to capture his signature are Milan and Juventus.
“It is certainly a boost to be valued so highly, as the Gialloblu continue to believe in me. There’ll be time for transfer talk in the summer, but right now my mind is focused solely on taking this side to safety. The club and city of Parma deserve to be in the top flight.”
The latest reports suggest that Milan are in pole position to tempt the striker away from the Tardini, although he does have strong links with Juventus.
“It is true that I was a bit of a Bianconeri supporter as a child and used to go to the home games with my father. I am from Biella, a little town near to Turin, and saw the greats like Roberto Baggio, Michel Platini and Gianluca Vialli. But never fear, I won’t let childhood memories hold me back this Sunday!”
Parma will need all the help they can get, as they are without the suspended Matteo Contini, Fabio Simplicio and Fabio Vignaroli, while Daniele Bonera, Stefano Bettarini and Marco Marchionni are injured.